How Much Conditioning You Should Be Doing For Jiu Jitsu
- Training
- Endurance
The amount of conditioning you should be doing in jiu jitsu and what kind depend on where you are in your training.
Different scenarios require different forms of conditioning.
Off-Season Training
If you do not have a competition coming up, consider it the off-season. Planning these off-seasons will maximize your results during this time.
In this time frame, 3-4 months before you plan on competing again, focus on strength and technique.
You should not be doing hours of hard rolls to increase your cardio at this time.
To maximize strength, create a lifting plan and a diet plan to be in a calorie surplus for at least 2-3 months.
Ideally, you should "bulk" for up to 6 months, but that is not realistic in many cases. Most active competitors compete once every couple of months.
If you do not know how to put together a lifting plan based on your goals, we cover many different topics about lifting here.
Pre-Competition Conditioning and Training (1-2 Months Away)
If you have a competition coming up, it's time to taper down the strength training and increase aerobic conditioning.
This means more hard rolls, and for more time. The goal is to maximize cardio during this period.
Your conditioning in jiu jitsu can be used as a serious weapon.
During the off-season, focus on drilling, softer rounds, and fewer live sessions to refine your technique.
Before competition, reduce drilling and increase live rounds. These can be rounds from neutral positions or situational live rounds from positions like side control, mount, front headlock, etc.
The more live rounds, the better. This prepares you for competing more effectively.
Find a good training partner during this time. This person might not be your usual training partner if they are not near your weight and skill level.
An evenly matched partner is ideal for competition training camp.
When you are approaching a competition, typically stay in a calorie deficit or maintenance, so there is not much room to build significant strength in less than 2 months.
Focus your efforts on your gas tank.
Conclusion
Your training falls into two main phases: off-season and competition preparation. It's crucial to treat each phase differently and train accordingly.
If your gym does not conduct a training camp before competitions or you are competing outside of your gym and want to know how to prepare, we are releasing an article on training camps very soon.
We will also go into further detail in our newsletter, so sign up and stay tuned!
See you on the podium!
